Velocipede.



L. RUDE.

VELOGIPEDE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 19, 1910.

1,039,81 Patented 001;. 1, 1912.

2 BHEBT8SHEET 1.

Lashar Rude,

coLuMmA FLANOGIAPH C0,, WMHINGTON, D. c.

L. RUDE.

VELOGIPEDE.

I APPLICATION FILED MAY 19, 1910. 1,039,81 3, Patented Oct. 1, 1912.

2 SHEETSSHEBT 2.

co.. wumNd'wN n c coumllA PLANOGIAPIC LESTER RUDE, F IDOLAND, SOUTH DAKOTA.

VELOCIPEDE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 1, 1912.

Application filed May 19, 1910. Serial No. 562,237.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, LESTER RUDE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Doland, 1n the county of Spink and State of South Dakota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Velocipedes, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

My invention relates to improvementsun velocipedes, and has for its object to provide a velocipede, which shall be in the form of the figure of an animal, preferably a horse,

{and one in which the figure will be effectually and gracefully supported with the operating and other parts thereof so disposed with relation to the figure as to permlt of the ready and convenient operation of the devlce.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will appear in the course of the following specification.

In the accompanying drawings: Flgure 1 is a side elevation of my improved velocipede. Fig. 2 is also a side elevation of Fig.

1 with portions thereof broken away. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the back yoke or strap and the chest yoke or strapconnected thereto. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the front fork together withthe bearing plate to which it is connected. Fig. 5 is a per- .spective view of the hind fork together with the body engaging member to which the fork is connected.

Referring to the drawings, which illustrate the preferred embodiment of my invention,

1 designates the figure of a horse, which is preferably constructed of wood and hollow to secure lightness. The figure is provlded with fore legs 2 and 3, and hind legs 4 and The fore legs 2 and 3 as well as the hind legs 4 and 5, it will be noted, are oppositely inclined with respect to each other, that is in each pair of legs one foot is in advance of the other.

A hearing or plate 6 provided with curved edges and a centrally located square aperture 7 has secured to its under side, at opposite sides of the aperture, the out-turned right angular ends 8 and 9 of oppositelyinclined depending arms or members 8 and 9, which constitute a front fork 10. Each arm 8 and 9 is provided with a plurality of perforations 8 and 9*, respectively, through which are projected securing means 11 by means of which the arms are secured to the inside of the legs 2 and 3. The arms 8 and 9, the

inclination of which corresponds to that of the legs 2 and 3, extend preferably a little below the lower ends of the legs and each arm at its lower end is provided with an outwardly extending rounded projection 12 and 13, respectively, having circular apertures 14 and 15, respectively, which constitute bearings. The rounded projections 12 and 13 extend in opposite directions to secure an axial alinement of the apertures or bearings 14 and 15 in which is mounted an axle 16 which turns freely therein. Mounted on the axle 16 cent-rally between the bearings is a wheel 17, preferably of the rubber tired type, which is held fixed to the axle by means of a split key 18 which passes through a perforation in the hub 19 and a registering perforation in the axle. The axle 16 is held in position by means of split keys 20 which pass through perforations in the axle outside of the bearings 14 and 15.

The bearing 6 is positioned beneath a similarly shaped bearing or plate 21 which is set in a cut-out portion 22 in the figure beneath the forward end of its body. The bearing 21 is shaped to have its outer edges conform to the contour of the figure and is secured in position by suitable fastening means 21*. The bearing 21 is set in sufiiciently so that when the bearing 6 is mounted beneath it, it preferably just comes flush with the un erside of the body of figure 1 in order that a neat a pearance is presented. Passing through per orations 23 and 24, respectively, in the top of the figure, near the base of the neck, and the lower portion of the body, and then through an aperture centrally of the bearing 21 is a steering rod 25. The steering rod also passes through the square aperture 7 in the bearing 6 and has secured to it asquare block or nut 26 which fits in the square aperture. The square block 26 is mounted on a longitudinallyextending spline 27 on the steering rod 25. The lower end of the steering rod is suitably threaded and projects beneath the bearing 6 and is suitably held in position by means of a thumb nut 28 which rests on a washer 29.

Secured to the top of the steering rod 25 and 34 which are connected together at the top by a transverse portion 34 to constitute a rear fork 35 to the top of which is secured a longitudinally-extending bar or member 36, which conforms to the contour of the underside of the body and is set in flush therewith and suitably secured. As shown the hind leg 5 is arranged in advance of the hind leg 4 and in order to compensate for this the depending arms 33 and 34, which are each angularly deflected at 37 near their centers, are oppositely inclined for a portion of their length to 37 and arranged one in advance of the other, as shown, substantially to the same degree as that of the hind legs. Each depending arm 33 and 34 is provided with a series of perforations 33 and 34, respectively, through which are projected the shanks of suitable securing means 38 to secure the arms to the inside of the hind legs as shown. The lower end of each of the arms projectsa little below the ends of the hind legs and each is provided at its lower end with an oppositely disposed rounded projection 39 and 40, respectively, each of which is provided with a circular aperture 41 and 42, respectively, which are in substantial axial alinement and constitute bearings. In the bearings is mounted an axle 43, which revolves therein, and mounted on the axle, one at the outside of each hind leg 4 and 5 are rubber tired wheels 44 and 45. Each wheel is securely fixed to the axle by means of a split key 46, which is thrust through an aperture in each hub and a registering aperture in the axle.

On the back of the figure 1 is a saddle 47, which is securely held in position by means of an inverted U-shaped yoke 48 which preferably passes over the skirts 49 of the saddle and under the seat 50 thereof. The depending arms 48' and 48 of. the U-shaped yoke 48 extend or are correspondingly inclined slightly forward. The lower ends of the arms 48 and. 48' of the U-shaped yoke 48 extend below the body of the figure and are each provided with-oppositely-disposed registering perforations 51 and 52, and while I have shown but two sets of registering perforations it is evident that any desired number could be employed. The inverted U- shaped yoke 48 is suitably braced by a second U-shaped yoke or strap 53, which fits and is suitably secured about the chest of the figure and extends longitudinally thereof to the arms 48 and 48 of the inverted U-shaped yoke 48 where they are secured by means of suitable securing means 54.

Mounted in apertures 51 is a shaft 55, the ends of which are squared. Mounted on the shaft 55, centrally between the depending arms 48 and 48 is a sprocket wheel 56 which is fixed to the axle by having a split key 57 passed through an aperture in its hub 58 and a registering aperture in the shaft. The upper portion of the sprocket wheel 56 projects into an aperture 59 in the underside of the body of the fi ure 1, when the shaft is in the upper perforations 51. On the square ends of the shaft 55, outside of the arms 48 and 48", are secured cranks 60 which carry pedals 61. Mounted on the sprocket wheel 56 and moved thereby is a sprocket chain 62 which meshes with a sprocket wheel 63 to propel the velocipede. The sprocket wheel 63 is mounted on the axle 43 centrally between the bearings 41 and 42 and fixed in position thereon by means of a split key 64 which passes through a perforation in the hub 65 of the sprocket wheel which perforation is adapted to register with a perforation in the axle.

that I claim is In a velocipede, a body having front legs, a plate fixedly secured to said body, an auxiliary plate carried below said first-mentioned plate, depending arms secured to the under face of said last-mentioned plate and being fixedly secured thereto, said front legs being fixedly secured to said depending arms, a guiding member passing through said body and engaging said last-mentioned plate, said last-mentioned plate being provided with a squared aperture, a squared portion formed upon said guiding memher and fitting in said squared aperture of said last-mentioned plate, means engaging the lower end of said guiding member and engaging said last mentioned plate for allowing the last-mentioned plate to be firmly bound in engagement with said first-mentioned plate, and also holding said squared portion of said guiding portion in engagement with said squared aperture.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aifix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

LESTER RUDE. \Vitnesses R. M. Jones, H. D. \Vnnn.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

